UFC and Brandon Vera split ways after nine-year run
Brandon Vera‘s long and often-tumultuous run in the UFC has come to an end. For now, anyway.
The organization has severed ties the veteran heavyweight and light heavyweight after a 16-fight, nine-year run, FOXSports.com first reported.
Vera (12-7 MMA, 8-7 UFC), 36, ended his long UFC run on a 1-4 skid (with one no-contest), which included a loss to heavyweight Ben Rothwell in his final bout, which came in August at UFC 164.
The heavyweight bout followed a nine-fight run at light heavyweight, where Vera fought (but lost to) notables such as Randy Couture, Jon Jones and Mauricio “Shogun†Rua.
Despite the late-career setbacks, Vera entered the UFC in 2005 and quickly emerged as one of the organization’s most promising prospects.
During a 4-0 start to his UFC career, which included a 69-second destruction of ex-champ Frank Mir, Vera boldly claimed he would hold titles in both the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions. With the bravado and those four stoppage victories, which included three in the first round, he was a breath of fresh air in a sputtering heavyweight division that lacked marketable stars.
However, a yearlong contract dispute ultimately spoiled plans for a title shot, and after subsequent losses to Tim Sylvia and Fabricio Werdum, he never got his shot at the belt and ultimately dropped to light heavyweight.
Vera initially found success and went on a 3-1 run. However, then came the 1-4 skid as he faced a slew of elite 205-pounders to close out his UFC career.
